Hello again, everyone! This is the final week before the 2009 session of the Oklahoma Legislature begins and I begin spending most of my time in Oklahoma City.

It is clear this will be a challenging session – perhaps as challenging as any in my more than 20 years working in and around the Legislature. The national economic slowdown is creeping into Oklahoma.

We are seeing it in revenue estimates, which are beginning to drop. That will make “Job One” – writing the annual state budget – even more difficult. It is becoming clear that we in the Legislature will have to look at ways to further strengthen Oklahoma’s economy. Read more…